ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we begin our analysis of accountability in the Scottish prison system. After examining three different models of accountability, we consider the special arguments for accountability in prisons and outline the various mechanisms for holding the prison system to account that exist in Scotland. We then provide a detailed account of the petition system and present a statistical analysis of the 3,371 petitions received in 1986. This is followed by a more detailed documentary analysis of three categories of petitions, namely those concerned with restoration of remission, security matters and transfers between establishments. We conclude with an assessment of the extent to which the petition system as it presently exists provides an effective mechanism of accountability. As in previous chapters, our account utilises the analytic framework outlined in Chapter 2 above and illustrates the interplay between discourse and power.
